ultranet

for you, how do you judge a movie
1. Directions
2. Storyline
3. Cast
4. Soundtrack
5. Others/Any?

leahn

The originality of the movie, the cast and the special effects..


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"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

LittleMilkJug

It all goes by how many times I look at my watch (in the cinema) or zap to another channel (when watching a film at home). I like freshness of direction and acting and at the end of the day I guess I like simple and uncomplicated plots.

fattyboomboom21

director. cast. plot/writing.sound track pretty much does it. sometimes the special fx too.

Jacob1983

The movie either sucks or it doesn't.

homerschum

Entertianment value

Did it keep my interest? Did I find it boring? etc

mukooh

out of the darkness and into the light......as a former long time poster to this board...a visitor responds to the question...how do you judge a movie?......

i watch alot of films in theaters.....so what i'm looking for in a movie is one that that make an emotional connection to my soul.....it's got to "move" me....and touch me.....i tend to long a look at films as a work of art....which imo they are....to me watching a film and judging a film is like looking at a masterpiece by a well known artist....when i look at an artist's masterpiece i tend to look at the frame, the use of color, brush strokes, texture, highlights, etc, all up close....it's only then, after backing up, that i can see the whole picture.....and to perhaps fully appreciate that the picture that i've been looking at is the mona lisa....

for the last 3 years i've been a prescreener of films for a film festival, held every year, in the city that i live in......below i've listed some of the guidelines and suggestions as to how we consider films for inclusion into that festival...i consider them to be a pretty good summary of how i tend to judge a film when i go to a theater and have to spend my own money...



Writing: Script, story & concept are understandable and engaging.



Directing: Clear communication of the story through good pacing and effective use of the actors, locations/sets, and props. Actors shouldn’t look out of place or awkward (unless it’s clearly on purpose). The scenes should contribute to the effective telling of the story and the pacing should keep you interested throughout.



Editing: Style, pacing & effectiveness moving within and between scenes. Does it drag? Is it so choppy that it’s confusing? Sometimes choppy is exciting and sometimes slow pacing increases drama and tension, but other times not so much…



Acting: (Leave blank for documentaries)



Cinematography: Clarity, quality of photography, framing of the subjects. How does the picture look? Is it appropriate to the style of the film? Are camera angles effective or intrusive?



Production Value: Music, costumes, sets, overall look and sound. Did they really go to Wiltshire, UK or is that a Styrofoam Stonehenge? Are the costumes really period, or stuff from mom’s closet? This is one where a film might score low in Production Value, but still be a really great film and you might adjust your overall score up. Not everyone has Steven Spielberg’s budget.



Now there’s one other thing that I wanted to mention. We know that you are all super-cool, really nice people, and that you truly respect the effort that it takes to make a film of any length, BUT -- here’s something to keep in mind when you are scoring your films. The audience is made up of people who will not be particularly charitable after they’ve paid their $10.



We’ve found this is a good way to keep perspective:



Imagine you’re sitting in the theater and you just paid $10 for this screening. Are you happy?

-res cogitans-

script (both dialogue and storyline), technique, acting, direction, editing, style, originality, filmic value, importance, execution

taovande

I tend to pay attention the script more than anything. With acting a close second and pacing in third place.

jardinera

i rarely see a movie because it's supposed to be ""good"". i do it because i want to be entertained, therefore if it has a lousy script and worse acting but it keeps me hooked (because of the storyline or the special effects) i'd keep seeing it. (this usually happens with horror movieS).

yet, when i'm watching one of those movies that are a little bit deeper than an adam sandler comedy (?), i tend to pay attention to the storyline. then, the script and the pacing.

Enigma

mukooh - I always enjoy your posts.

I feel the same and totally agree.

jardinera - I would agree that my expectations may differ based on the type of movie it is. Certain things in a movie may not be great......such as a script or the acting, etc., but if there is something in the movie that I've connected to then I may walk out having loved it despite major flaws. It all depends.

Melissa Ann

1. Director

Depends on the director. If a movie is coming out that is directed by someone like Stephen Spielberg, who has a history for making great movies, then I'll most likely see the movie.

But there are 'unknown' directors' as well, and a lot of time, its not the director that makes the film but the story.

2. Storyline

The story line of a film is important, to a degree. You could have a really great story, for example, 'The Notebook'. a beautifully told story.

But you can also have a crappy story, and the actors/actresses or cast are what makes it great.

3. Cast

Some actors/actresses I just cannot stand, they annoy me. Like Eddie Murphy.

But there are some actors/actresses that I absolutely love and will see a movie just because they are in it.

4. Soundtrack

Soundtrack doesn't really play an important role in my movie watching decisions, unless the movie is a musical.

5. Others/Any? Genre

I tend to like more of the Thriller/Horror/Psychological Thriller type movies over comedies and such.

Main point being, all of these factors play a role in my movie choosing.

Eckybay

If it doesn't catch my attention in the first 4 to 5 minutes I'll turn it off. I've gotten a lot more strict on quality of movies I watch. Especially horror movies.

Psycho Flower Child

For me it's mainly the cast; if I like an actor/actress I'll end up forgiving the movie's faults and likewise if I dislike the cast, that'll make me dislike the movie on some level.

Quarterley

The script is the most important thing, followed by direction, and then the acting. But usually, it's about the film overall. However, it really irks me when everything is supposedly good and then one bad thing ruins it. Like if they have a good idea and then they killed it with bad direction. Or it's a beautiful story but the acting sucks. However, there are movies that are so bad that it becomes pure entertainment.....just in another way. Like "psychological thrillers" that end up with you doing this when watching: